Protesters Disrupt Access to Major Metro Vancouver Container Port Terminal

Police in British Columbia say demonstrators have disrupted access to a major Metro Vancouver container port terminal, with the protesters calling for an end to what they call “Canada’s weapons trade with Israel.”

Delta Police say on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that officers at Deltaport are “working to resolve” the protest’s impact.

Background

The protesters say in a news release they are students from the University of British Columbia and other community members.

They say the demonstration also targets a Global Container Terminals executive who is a board member at UBC, and shared photos showing a long line of trucks blocked by flag-waving protesters.

A similar protest in April disrupted operations at Deltaport for several hours.

Port of Vancouver

The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada, and GCT Deltaport is the country’s largest container terminal with capacity to handle 2.4 million standard 20-foot containers every year.

Conflict in Gaza

Israel and Hamas have been at war since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, while abducting another 250.

The Gaza Health Ministry says the death toll in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 44,000. The local health authority does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children.

Conclusion

The protest at the Deltaport terminal highlights the ongoing tensions between Israel and Hamas, and the concerns of some Canadians about Canada’s role in the conflict.